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Thursday, 4 April 2013

Miracles in San Miguel de Allende

by Nancy Snipper

With over 500 years of
history, San Miguel’s inspirational beauty not only comes from its colonial
architecture colouring every corner among its cobble-stone streets, but it also sparkles
within the collective conscience of the people themselves - the majority of whom possesses
talents that have your senses reeling. It’s an awesome ambiance.

This town beckons
those with a knack for the spontaneous and a hunger for the arts. So much is
going on here; the artistic energy is endless – as bounteous as the restaurants
and art galleries that delight your senses. Is it any wonder that artists of
every shape, colour and costume come from all over the world to perform? Some
never leave.

The Pearl behind Pro Musica

Michael Pearl, an
ex-pat Brit and former theatre impresario. His visionary acumen and charismatic
manner is not only accented by his delightfully eccentric comportment, but also
and most notably by what he has given to this town: Pro Musica. As its founder
and director, his world encompasses music lovers and performers from all over
the world. Of course, he couldn’t make it the success it is today without his
40-member team of dedicated volunteers.

Founded in 2000, Pro
Musica is the city’s mainstream provider of classical music whose season runs
from October through to March. A diverse
rostrum of world-class musicians comes from all corners of the globe to perform
in Pro Musica’s much anticipated season. What is so pleasing is the variety and
number of classical music concerts – an ear-feast of 27 concerts that feature
full orchestra, chamber music ensembles, string quartets, solo piano, guitar
and more.

I had the pleasure to
attend one such concert: the Sinfonieta Potosina, conducted by the ebullient Antonio
Cabrero. This lovely event marked Pro Musica’s much anticipated annual finale
garden gala concert. The lush outdoor setting and scrumptious Mexican goodies
served at intermission suited the joyous music in the program. What a treat!

Mr.Pearl is a generous
man as are his patrons (25%) of the audience). Dinners, cocktail parties occur
after almost every concert along with another pleasurable post-concert
experience: Meet and Greet the musicians: this is when casual banter blends
with personal pizzazz with shoulder rubbing. What fun!

With the exception of
the final concert of the season, Pro Musica performances take place within two
iconic landmarks of acoustically sonorous and visual beauty: the Angela Peralta
theatre and St. Paul’s
Church. The upcoming season is sure to take advantage of these two marvellous
venues. Opera, ballet, symphony and chamber music are slated along with a
special appearance of the Russian State Ballet. (For further details on this
and more, check out Pro Musica’s website: www.promusciasma.com for further
details).

Pro Musica obviously
needs patrons to ensure the coffer is constantly filled, not only for the
concert season, but also for something so worthy and wonderful: it’s Pro Musica’s
educational outreach program.

“This is an ongoing
endeavour we passionately believe in, said Mr Pearl. “ We now teach the basics
of music through our Flagship program, Rhythm, Rhyme & Reason to 120
children in schools in the campo for 44 weeks every year, as well as in the San
Miguel orphanages.”To this end, a huge
variety of instruments are offered – all authentic reproductions of
pre-Hispanic instruments produced by local indigenous craftsmen; all made
especially for Pro Musica right in San Miguel.

Los Ricos School

Pro Musica’s
generosity is most remarkable. It not only brings musicto so many through this outreach program, but
it gives specialist private tuition to particularly gifted youngsters they
discover along the way with no strings attached – other than those to the
instruments each may play.

Mr Pearl makes his
plea for more funding and volunteers. “We are always looking for people who can
contribute to what Pro Musica does.” His current wish is to bring on board
those with knowledge and Internet skills and of course to spread the word about
music in the copious program notes that come with each concert and via world of
mouth.

Pro Musica is one of
San Miguel’s miracles. The openness and exhilaration that marks this musical
organization is thrilling.

La Biblioteca and El Sindicato

More artistic events
happen in two totally different yet inviting spaces devoted to a full gamut of
artistic encounters, activities and performances where subject matter is as
broad as the collective imagination, and as thick as the wall of La Biblioteca
- a fabulous stone building whose rooms are usually full of artists, lecturers
and teachers.

It’s hospitable space which not only includes the ever-popular Café
Santa Ana and its theatre, but it offers a network of rooms formusic, film, talks, body and mind-enriching
workshops,lessons ofall kinds. In fact, I had the pleasure to
play the grand piano inside the Sala Quetzal. What a magnificent space. The
vibrant mural that wraps along the enormous pace of this room is legendary. It
visually chronicles a series of painted images whose indigenous subject matter
is both mysterious and anecdotal.

The door to this room is always open to the
public when no activity is taking place. I love La Bibloteca and will be giving
a series of workshops here, hoping to nourish the souls participating in my
creativity sessions, and mine as well. La Bibliteca’s activities, overseen by
the charming and incredibly hard-working Julieta Moreno, provide quintessential, educational intellectual and
artistic nourishment to San Miguel year-round. Young and old alike can’t keep
away from it; nor can they the delicious muffins served to you by the sweet
‘waiters’ of Café Santa Ana. By the way, if you want to read San Miguel’s
newspaper while sipping your coffee, the offices of Atención, just go up the
outside stairs to pick up one.

El Syndicato at No. 4 Recreo Street
is run by actor and musician Jose Luis Mendoza Aubert. As director of its
Espacio Cultural Alternativo, you may find him playing among a group of musicians
casually getting together to play and sing the distinctly evocative 400-year
old music from Veracruz
called Son Jarocho. José Luis overseas so many performances and classes there
which include tango and more dance styles along with all kinds of mixed music
ensembles that incorporate art and more. It’s a happening place with spaces for
teachers and students to take advantage of, and it’s right in the centre of
town.

It recently hosted an
evening of Cuban musicians – all masters on their instruments, and all of
international fame and acclaim: Gabriel Hernández (pianist), Gil Gutiérrez
(guitarist), Kimani Carrazana (percussionist) and Rubén Olvera (bassist).

Before leaving San
Miguel, I attended another spectacle whose uniqueness was immeasurably riveting
and pleasing at the same time.Called‘A Ocho Manos’, this
concert featured two great pianists Marta Garcia Renart and Fausto Castello
performing Meunier, Satie, Debussy and Ravel to the dancers, Jessica Álvarez
and Jessica Dávalos. who also did the choreography. Playful, sad, anecdotal and
dramatic, each performance piece featured a riveting commentary on female
image, sexuality, oppression and love. In one very clever work, the highly
flexible dancer, Bruno Barón undulated and stretched his entire body in a
series of movements that seemed to imitate a young child playing with his toys.
He portrayed the playful spirit of innocence so well, it was hard to believe,
eh was anything but a child full of innocence and wonder. Another innovative
part of the afternoon event performance included the projection of these
virtuoso pianists playing onto a side wall while the dancers performed. El
Syndicato is a place for the emerging artist, the avant-garde and guarded.
Anything goes here; there’s something for everyone’s taste. Choreographers, new
compositions, sharing, exhibitions, readings and staging of plays are all part
of this cultural centre whose door is always open. You may want to just drop in
to relax upstairs on its cozy terrace, where you can read your favourite book,
people watch from on high or ponder the possibilities to come your way – if indeed you are not the creator of them!

This bastion of desert
plants, a monumental rock canyon and pond fed by underground water is surely
San Miguel’s most prized natural treasure. Designated a region of peace by the
Dali Lama, the splendour of botanical growth comprises over 100 hectares of
land (about 150 acres).

The area is utterly
breathtaking to wander through and a tranquil retreat from the clatter of San
Miguel’s inner city life. Not easy to reach, but well worth the ride up the
ascent up (take a taxi), El Charco del Ingenio nestles on high cocooned in
peaceful botanical bliss.

*

Pick the path you wish to follow, as this intricate
natural wonder is really a matrix of magnificent gardens and views down into
the gorge and pond - all protected and maintained since 1990 with further
purchase of land over the ensuing years for the purpose of preservation and
regular care. The efforts of its director, Mario Hernández and his team
visually demonstrate the determination of a highly skilled ensemble of
community citizens and brilliantly innovative workers to keep El Charco del
Ingenio growing freely since preservation of the natural reserve began in 1990.
More land was purchased with this in mine in the ensuing years. Physically and
spiritually, El Charco del Ingenio embodies ‘ingenio’ (ingeniousness) in every
sense of the word.

Cacti including 980 species of succulents,capture your
focus at every turn within the area’s 535 species of spontaneous growing fauna
whose diversity belongs to 85 botanical families. More than 156 species of
birds and 110 butterflies thrive freely in the reserve.

There are over 14
segments to El Charco del Ingenio – not to mention the Plaza of the Four Winds,
a ceremonial space and scenic overlook of Pre-Columbia symbols. It is an
impressively large Mandela-like circle cut from natural rock to from a kind of
mosaic with 4 images of earth, sky, water and animal forming at each
direction.The Holy Cross of El Charco
del Ingenio also stands here, thereby uniting the dual religions.

It’s all very
harmonious as is every man-made structure that organically rises out of the
natural growth as if it were there in the first place. Such additions are exemplified by what Mr.
Hernández has built there too. He has constructed a primitive type of little
hut made from the area’s branches. Its form takes on the shape of a tent.
Utterly organic in feel, it is a natural cozy cocoon - so peaceful to linger
in.

A large conservatory
of Mexican plants includes cacti, succulents and an array of botanic families.

*

Water plants and native fish are there, as is the solar energy-fed agave and
Opuntia gardens.

Agave

*

Optunia tomentosa

Nearby, a rescue garden rests peacefully – saved by the claws
of bulldozers used for more building expansion. Mr. Hernández pointed out a
single poignant fact as he pointed to a robust, gorgeous golden barrel cactus
over 100 years old. He revealed that its needles take a lifetime of years to
grow a mere millimetre in length.

How wonderful that it
along with several other fragile fauna has been dug up and transplanted here
thereby diverting these precious plants from machine-made destruction.

A seventeenth-century
mill – the oldest in the America’s
is another highlight of El Charco del Ingenio. It sets the scene to view the nearby
staggeringly awesome rock canyon across the way with its pond. Monumental
boulders seem to want to crash into the pond, but they don’t. In fact, they
serve as the seats for the audience attending concerts held in this very spot.
What a superb setting for concerts with the sunset forming its own colourful light
show!

*

There is so much to
see at El Charco del Ingenio, but one of my favourite spots was the presa (dam)
waters with its artificial island lagoons where a bounteous variety of birds
linger.

*

*

Every kind of view is afforded at this wonderful region. I just kept
wanting to come back every day to discover more magical mysteries. So much to
see!Every miniscule moment collectively
forms an immense botanic utopia invoking immeasurable euphoria.

*

* Photos taken by Wayne Colony, a resident of San Miguel de Allende since 2003

Nancy's Books are sold on Kindle and at Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Avenue, Montreal

Beyond the Dream: Epic Solitude - Nancy's collection of Poetry & short stories. Contact nansnipper@gmail.com or Click on image to read article. Here is the link to Martin Barry's article: http://martincbarry.weebly.com. Book is also available on Amazon Kindle

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Nancy Snipper is also an accomplished singer/songwriter – banjo player and classical pianist. Her three CDs have garnered much media praise along with her performances (Canada, Mexico, Cuba). Her voice is astoundingly beautiful – velvety in her blues numbers, sensual and sizzling in her folk, rock and country compositions. Now you can own one of her CDs. For enquiries about owning her CDs and/or booking performances contact her at this email: sylvainmrichard@gmail.com. Her CDs help raise money for cancer research.

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Collaborators / Collaborateurs:

Sylvain Richard

Nancy Snipper

Note / Nota:

July 10, 2016:The beginning of a new and exciting chapter! Nancy Snipper's (a.k.a S.N.) first posting on her own blog: http://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/********************************************************

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